So as above the heavens thy praise to set

Out of the tender mouths of latest birth.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou

Hast founded strength, because of all thy foes, To stint the enemy, and slack th' avenger's brow,

That bends his rage thy Providence t'oppose. When I behold thy heavens, thy fingers' art, The moon, and stars, which thou so bright hast

set In the pure firmament: then saith my heart,

O, what is man that thou rememberest yet, And think'st upon him; or of man begot,

That him thou visit'st, and of him art found! Scarce to be less than gods, thou mad’st his lot, With honour and with state thou hast him

crowned.

In the dust my glory dead,
In the dust ; and, there outspread,
Lodge it with dishonour foul.
Rise, Jehovah! in thine ire,
Rouse thyself amidst the rage
Of my foes, that urge like fire;
And wake for me, their fury assuage;
Judgment here thou didst engage
And command, which I desire.
So the assemblies of each nation
Will surround thee, seeking right;
Thence to thy glorious habitation
Return on high, and ir, their sight.
Jehovah judgeth most upright
All people from the world's foundation.
Judge me, Lord; be judge in this
According to my righteousness,
And the innocence which is
Upon me: cause at length to cease
Of evil men the wickedness,
And their power that do amiss.
But the just establish fast,
Since thou art the just God that tries
Hearts and reins. On God is cast
My defence, and in him lies.
In him who, both just and wise,
Saves the upright of heart at last.
God is a just judge and severe,
And God is every day offended;
If the unjust will not forbear,
His sword he whets, his bow hath bended
Already, and for him intended
The tools of death that wait him near.
(His arrows purposely made he
For them that persecute:) Behold
He travails big with vanity;
Trouble he hath conceived of old,
As in a womb; and from that mould
Hath at length brought forth a lie.
He digged a pit, and delved it deep,
And fell into the pit he made;
His mischief, that due course doth keep.
Turns on his head; and his ill trade
Of violence will, undelayed,
Fall on his crown with ruin steep.
Then will I Jehovah's praise
According to his justice raise,
And sing the Name and Deity
Of Jehovah the Most High!

O'er the works of thy hand thou mad'st him Lord,

Thou hast put all under his lordly feet; All flocks, and herds, by thy commanding word,

All beasts that in the field or forest meet; Fowl of the heavens, and fish that through the wet

Sea-paths in shoals do slide, and know no dearth: O Jehovah, our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is thy name through all the earth!

April, 1648. J. M.

Nine of the Psalms done into metre, wherein all, but what is

in a different character, are the very words of the text trans lated from the original.

PSALM LXXX.

1 Thou, Shepherd, that dost Israel keep,

Give ear in time of need; Who leadest like a flock of sheep

Thy loved Joseph's seed; That sitt'st between the Cherubs bright,

Between their wings outspread ; Shine forth, and from thy cloud give light,

And on our foes thy dread.
2 In Ephraim's view and Benjamin's,

And in Manasse's sight,
Awake thy strength, come, and be seen

To save us by thy might.

3 Turn us again; thy grace divine

To us, O God, vouchsafe ;
Cause thou thy face on us to shine,

And then we shall be safe. 4 Lord God of Hosts! how long wilt thou,

How long wilt thou declare
Thy smoking wrath, and angry brou

Against thy people's prayer!

PSALM VIII. Aug. 14, 1653.
O JEHOVAH, our Lord, how wondrous great

And glorious is thy Name through all the earth!

118 So shall we not go back from thee

To ways of sin and shame; Quicken us thou; then gladly we

Shall call upon thy Name.

19 Return us, and thy grace divine,

Lord God of Hosts! rouchsafe; Cause thou thy face on us to shine,

And then we shall be safe.

PSALM LXXXI.

5 Thou feed'st them with the bread of tears;

Their bread with tears they eat;
And mak'st them largely drink the tears

Wherewith their cheeks are wet.
6 A strife thou mak'st us and a prey

To every neighbour foe;
Among themselves they laugh, they play,

And flouts at us they throw.
7 Return us, and thy grace divine,

O God of Hosts! couchsafe; Cause thou thy face on us to shine,

And then we shall be safe. 8 A vine from Egypt thou hast brought,

Thy free love made it thine, And drov'st out nations, proud and haught,

To plant this lovely vine. 9 Thou didst prepare for it a place,

And root it deep and fast, That it began to grow apace,

And filled the land at last.

1 To God our strength sing loud, and clear,

Sing loud to God our King;
To Jacob's God, that all may hear,

Loud acclamations ring.

2 Prepare a hymn, prepare a song,

The timbrel hither bring;
The cheerful psaltery bring along,

And harp with pleasant string.

3 Blow, as is wont, in the new moon,

With trumpets' lofty sound,
The appointed time, the day whereon

Our solemn feast comes round.

4 This was a statute given of old,

For Israel to observe;
A law of Jacob's God, to hold,

From whence they might not swerde.

5 This is a testimony ordained

In Joseph, not to change; When as he passed through Egypt land;

The tongue I heard was strange.

6 From burden, and from slavish toil,

I set his shoulder free:
His hands from pots, and miry soil,

Delivered were by me.

10 With her green shade that covered all,

The hills were over-spread; Her boughs as high as cedars tall

Advanced their lofty head. 11 Her branches on the western side

Down to the sea she sent, And uproard to that river wide

Her other branches went. 12 Why hast thou laid her hedges low,

And broken down her fence, That all may pluck her, as they go,

With rudest violence?
13 The tusked boar out of the wood

Up turns it by the roots;
Wild beasts there browse, and make their food

Her grapes and tender shoots.
14 Return now, God of Hosts! look down

From Heaven, thy seat divine;
Behold us, but without a froun,

And visit this thy vine.
15 Visit this vine, which thy right hand

Hath set, and planted long,
And the young branch, that for thyself

Thou hast made firm and strong. 16 But now it is consumed with fire,

And cut with ares down;
They perish at thy dreadful ire,

At thy rebuke and frown.
17 Upon the man of thy right hand

Let thy good hand be laid ;
Upon the son of man, whom thou
Strong for thyself hast made.

7 When trouble did thee sore assail,

On me then didst thou call;
And I to free thee did not fail,

And let thee out of thrall.

I answered thee in thunder deep,

With clouds encompassed round; I tried thee at the water steep,

Of Meriba renown'd.

8 Hear, O my people, hearken well;

I testify to thee,
Thou ancient stock of Israel,

If you wilt list to me:

9 Throughout the land of thy abode

No alien god shall be,
Nor shalt thou to a foreign god

In honour bend thy kneo.

6 I said that ye were gods; yea, all

The sons of God Most High; 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall

As other princes die.

10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought

Thee out of Egypt land;
Ask large enough, and I, besought,

Will grant thy full demand.
11 And yet my people would not hear,

Nor hearken to my voice;
And Israel, whom I loved so dear,

Misliked me for his choice.
12 Then did I leave them to their will,

And to their wandering mind; Their own conceits they followed still,

Their own devices blind.

13 O, that my people would be wise,

To serve me all their days !
And O, that Israel would advise

To walk my righteous ways! 14 Then would I soon bring down their foes,

That now so proudly rise;
And turn my hand against all those,

That are their enemies.

8 Rise, God; judge thou the earth in might,

This wicked earth redress;
For thou art he who shall by right
The nations all

possess.

PSALM LXXXIII. 1 Be not thou silent now at length,

O God! hold not thy peace;
Sit thou not still; O God of strength,

Why cry, and do not cease.
2 For lo, thy furious foes now swell,

And storm outrageously;
And they that hate thee, proud and fell,

Exalt their heads full high.
3 Against thy people they contrive

Their plots and counsels deep;
Them to ensnare they chiefly strive

Whom thou dost hide and keep.

15 Who hate the Lord should then be fain

To bow to him and bend;
But they, his people, should remain,

Their time should have no end.

4 Come, let us cut them off, say they,

Till they no nation be;
That Israel's name for ever may

Be lost in memory.

16 And he would feed them from the shock

With flower of finest wheat,
And satisfy them from the rock

With honey for their meat.

5 For they consult with all their might,

And all, as one in mind, Themselves against thee they unite,

And in firm union bind.

PSALM LXXXII.

I God in great assembly stands

Of kings and lordly states; Among the gods, on both his hands,

He judges and debates.

6 The tents of Edom, and the brood

Of scornful Ishmael,
Moab, with them of Hagar's blood,

Thut in the desert dwell;